Extending a Welcome
Long-term guests want a place more like home
In the aftermat aftermath of the Great Downturn of 2009, the life of the long-term corporate gyps gypsy has rebounded – but has taken on a different cast. What has changed in the post-recession environment, exp experts say, is an increased use of consultants for longer-term corporate projects projects; a return to relocating key, usually execu executive-level employees as companies expand; and projects or training that requires employees to spend weeks or months away from home but without actually relocating to a new city.
Of late, there’s been a significant increase in the number of extended stay guests, according to Bill Duncan, global head, brand management at Home2 Suites by Hilton and Homewood Suites
by Hilton. Duncan says extended stay has become much more a strategic priority for companies and organizations because so many of corporate teams and individuals are on the road for greater periods of time.
“People could be on the road auditing, for new product launches or a variety of different ‘tripcations’ with some very important outcomes that are needed,” Duncan notes.
The technology and medical sectors in particular are seeing significant expansion of extended-stay corporate assignments, notes Robert Radomski, vice president, brand management, extended stay brands at InterContinental Hotels Group.
“We are finding more companies moving away from web-based training they previously hosted based on efficiency and cost in favor of in-person training events, which result in more corporate extended stay bookings, ”he says.
Staying the Same
Despite the upturn in the market and the changing demographics, many fundamentals of corporate apartments and the extended-stay hotel market have not changed much post-recession. According to The Highland Group, a trade consultancy, 30 days remains the typical minimum stay required to get the lower costs and greater amenities of a corporate apartment. The average stay in the shorterterm extended-stay hotels is about two weeks, but many guests choose to check in for a month or more and others for just a night or two.
The largest segment of the corporate housing market continues to be companies relocating employees, followed by housing interns, and consulting or training assignments.
The occupancy rates in 2012 for US corporate apartments was 88.6 percent, a level that traditionally has remained relatively flat, helped in part by building and complex owners balancing their inventory of units between those available for short- and long-term leases. Upward pressure on rates and occupancy has also come from the lingering effects of the housing depression, which has filled more apartments with renters who used to be homeowners or with those not ready to move into home ownership.
In the extended-stay hotel market, occupancy in 2012 was just less than 75 percent, compared with an average for all hotels of 61 percent, according to statistics from Smith Travel Research. Economy-priced extended-stay hotels led the field, with a 79 percent occupancy rate; midpriced lodgings came in 71 percent and upscale extended-stays at 77 percent.
Companies are looking for more options, greater flexibility and increased value around business travel. Thus they are expanding their options by looking at extended stay alternatives, explains David Holt, director of sales for Oakwood, a global provider of corporate housing.
“Over the past couple of years we’ve seen more and more companies expanding outside the borders of their home country, ”Holt says. “Globalization is driving a demand for extended stays in established and emerging markets. Recruiting, retaining, and developing talent in a truly competitive environment means corporations need an edge – especially for global assignees. We are hearing our clients use the phrase ‘over caring’ when referring to their employees on extended assignments. This rings true for the Millennial generation who expect an overall stellar assignment experience.”
Oakwood is one of many corporate housing providers who have expanded their footprint in the extended stay/ serviced apartment domain. Oakwood’s 2012 purchase of Marriott’s ExecuStay
corporate and temporary housing division gave them furnished apartments in 700 locations across the US. This in addition to its inventory of housing solutions around the world.
Serviced apartments designed for longterm temporary stays is a global market in which Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality has carved out its own space. Frasers currently has 77 properties either open or in the pipeline, falling under one of five brands across a range of design and service options: Fraser Suites, Fraser Place, Fraser Residence, Modena and Capri by Fraser. Frasers is found in far-reaching locales from Beijing and Kuala Lumpur to London, Glasgow and Paris – and of course, in the company’s hometown of Singapore.
Another real estate and housing developer, Korman Communities, has three distinct offerings in the extended stay space; AKA is a brand of high-rise luxury furnished serviced residences in urban settings; these include four New York City properties, two in Washington, DC, and one each in London, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Korman’s AVE communities offer fully furnished and unfurnished, one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites in mid-rise suburban settings in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. ARK residences are garden style furnished and unfurnished residences in suburban locations such as Bucks County and Montgomery County in Pennsylvania.
Gimme Shelter
The mark that seems to differentiate one extended stay offering from another is the variability of the word “extended.” While some properties bill themselves as ‘corporate apartments’ or ‘serviced apartments ,’others maintain the ‘extended stay ’moniker. And, in addition to differences in the lengths of stay, there are significant distinctions in service levels, amenities, design and décor and location.
But all these other factors aside, one common thread among all the different flavors of extended-stay properties is the goal to give guests a home away from home to help them keep their routines rolling on the road.
For example, says Chris Walker, Hyatt’s vice president of brands,“this includes everything from residentially-inspired suites with full kitchens, laundry facilities, real social spaces, 24-hour workout rooms, complimentary WiFi and more that make it easier to maintain momentum and feel at home. ”Walker points to Hyatt House’s Hyatt Has It-Borrows program that offers “many forgotten items or things guests wouldn’t pack, and it includes items with families in mind such as board games, pool noodles and night lights.”
“IHG offers two extended stay brands designed specifically for travelers who spend weeks and months away from home,” says Radomski.
The Staybridge Suites brand provides a community experience and gives guests an environment where they have opportunities to socialize with other guests and hotel team members. Meanwhile, the Candlewood Suites brand offers a homelike atmosphere at a value price.
“Both brands offer more space than a typical hotel room, along with fully equipped in-suite kitchens and services – including housekeeping – and amenities for travelers, ”Rodomski explains. “Unlike many short-term apartments, the brands require no minimum stay or lease deposits for utilities.”
BridgeStreet has taken the concept of brand identification a step further. Citing a need to bring consumers a
clearer understanding of the offerings across the entire extended stay sector, the international provider of serviced apartments in January rebranded itself as BridgeStreet Global Hospitality. The launch introduces six distinct serviced apartment brands ranging from six- to two-star products, all under the BridgeStreet signature umbrella.
“The needs of the discerning traveler about experiences and quality have evolved incredibly over the last couple of years,” according to Sean Worker, BridgeStreet’s CEO. Relocated travelers are looking for a “home,” he says .“We are about enhancing the experience.”
At the other end of the branding spectrum, Extended Stay America has consolidated their brand image. “We used to have a portfolio of four different brands, but we consciously consolidated our brands last year as we realized from talking with our loyal customers that some of the things we thought were different really weren’t that different,” says Extended Stay’s CMO Tom Seddon.
However, Seddon notes, consolidating brands is not any indication of a slowdown for the extended stay market. He says half of Extended Stay America’s guests stay a month or longer and the growth of the extended stay market continues each year.
More Than a Bed
Shifting corporate dynamics are only part of what’s driving the changes in longterm lodging. The guests themselves – the business people who wind up living for weeks or months away from home – are are also creating a new climate, and a new set of demands for extended stay hotel operators and corporate apartment providers alike.
In particular, younger travelers who are away on longer assignments are looking for a different experience from their digs. Yon Abad, a director for the Americas in Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Solutions Group, says these travelers prefer accommodations that include common areas like a clubhouse for socializing with fellow lodgers. They also want fitness and other recreational facilities on the premises or nearby, proximity to urban amenities such as good restaurants and retail stores, and WiFi and basic cable TV service included in the rent.
Extended-stay hotels typically offer those features, making sure they’re situated where services are available. Recently, corporate apartments have included the same amenities as a way to attract both month-to-month and long-term tenants, Abad says.
In New York City, for example, The William, a newly-renovated Midtown property, has a different take on the extended stay story. Here guests are immersed in the lifestyle and culture of the city around them. So they offer “cultural curators” who provide arriving guests a welcome passport that points toward specific restaurants, cafes, shopping, and must-see sights tailored to each guest’s personal preferences, so they can live, work and play“like a local.”
Housed in two historic brownstones and managed by Las Vegas-based Warner Hospitality, The William is a fresh, modern, and technologically advanced take on the extended stay hotel.
“People now pay more attention to design,” according to Hilton’s Duncan. As a result, Hilton’s Homewood Suites properties have focused on upscale home environment trends for its extended stay properties. These suites include such HGTV-familiar amenities as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors.
In response to its own research which reveals that people like being around others when they are on the road, Homewood has moved into offering more communal spaces with seating in public areas. In another move designed to minimize the conventional constraints of hotel life, Homewood allows guests to pick the suite number they want and is experimenting with letting them bypass the front desk altogether and go straight to the room.
Hyatt House offers a number of amenities and services that help guests feel at home and keep their routines normal, including a complimentary Morning Spread breakfast, which features a build-your-own omelet bar, a 24-hour workout room, guest market and laundry facilities. Additionally, there’s a complimentary evening social with savory bites, beer and wine.
Extended Stay America recently began offering free breakfast, understanding that sometimes you just want to grab a cup of coffee and a bagel on the run.
Candlewood Suites features a Gazebo Grill and a 24-hour Candlewood Cupboard, where guests can purchase a variety of beverages, breakfast items, snacks, frozen entrées and sundries on the honor system.
Three nights a week Staybridge offers the complimentary social